What I Wish I'd Known About Helping My Kids Vote

Dawn Sparks
6 days ago
6 min read

For years, I did it wrong.

Every election cycle, I'd launch into my passionate speech about civic duty, the importance of participation, and how their generation could change everything. I'd forward celebrity memes and Instagram stories designed to inspire, then remind them about registration deadlines with increasingly urgent texts. I thought if I could just make them care enough, they'd show up at the polls.

Then one of my kids finally leveled with me: "Mom, I want to vote. I'm just not sure exactly how it all works, and I'm afraid I'll mess something up."

That stopped me cold. I'd been so focused on inspiration and motivation—assuming apathy was the problem—that I'd completely missed what was actually standing in the way.

The Real Barrier Isn't What We Think

Research from CIRCLE at Tufts University shows, “The vast majority of young people already want to vote. More than 75% say they have a responsibility to get involved and believe young people have the power to change the country.

The problem isn't motivation. It's Information

When researchers asked young people why they didn't vote, yes, some cited dissatisfaction with candidates or a sense of disconnection from politics. But just as many—actually more—ran into concrete, solvable problems: they didn't know how to register, they missed a deadline, they were” too busy” and didn't plan ahead, they were afraid they didn’t know enough and would vote incorrectly, or they simply didn't have enough practical information about the voting process.

Where Parents Get It Wrong (And I Definitely Did)

Here's what I learned: Young people aren't avoiding the polls because we haven't given them enough speeches about civic responsibility. They're avoiding the polls because we've made the process feel more complicated and intimidating than it needs to be.

We give them the "why" when they're stuck on the "how."

And then—and this is the part that really got me—we blame them for not participating. We call them apathetic and write think pieces about disengaged youth. Meanwhile, they're dealing with unpredictable schedules, navigating confusing registration requirements, and trying to figure out whether their student ID counts as valid identification in a state that just changed its voting laws.

What Young Voters Actually Need From Us

Research shows that parent encouragement—actual verbal instruction and support—increases the likelihood of voting by 30%. But it has to be practical encouragement, not just cheerleading.

Here’s what that looks like:

First: Stop the guilt trips. If your young person hasn't registered or doesn't seem engaged, resist the urge to lecture. Shame doesn't motivate—it just makes people avoid the conversation entirely.

Second: Make it a conversation, not a monologue. Ask questions:

"Have you checked if you're registered?"
"Do you know where you'd vote?"
"Want to figure this out together?"

Third: Provide practical, specific information. Not a barrage of links and articles (guilty as charged), but the essential facts they need:

The exact registration deadline (April 6 for the upcoming Primaries)
Where and how to register
What ID they need
Their options for voting (early voting, vote by mail, Election Day)
Their specific polling location

Fourth: Normalize not knowing everything. One of the best things you can tell a young voter is this: It's okay to leave parts of the ballot blank. You don't have to research every single down-ballot race. You can vote on the issues and candidates you care about and skip the rest. This isn't a test you can fail.

A Word Directly to Young Voters

If you're reading this and you're 18 to 24, I want to let you in on something. Every single older person who votes? They're also Googling half the names on the ballot. They're also not 100% sure about the candidates for the water district commissioner. They're also skipping sections they don't understand. The difference is, they've done it before, so it feels less intimidating.

You belong at the polls just as much as anyone else. Your opinions about the cost of living, student debt, climate change, healthcare, and your economic future? Those are exactly the perspectives that need to be represented.

You don't need to understand every candidate's entire platform. You don't need a degree in political science. You don't need to have passionate opinions about every ballot measure.

Here's what you do need:

To be registered to vote.
To show up with your ID (or request and send in your ballot)
To vote on the things you care about

That's it. That's the bar.

Making a Plan That Actually Works

Research on voter behavior has found that simply reminding people to vote doesn't work. But helping them make a specific plan for voting increases turnout significantly—more than twice as effective as a generic reminder. If this sounds vaguely familiar, you’ve probably heard something similar from your guidance counselor when planning for graduation. What works works.

Here's how to make a plan that sticks:

Step 1: Get Registered by April 6

This is the non-negotiable first step for voting in the May primary.

What to do:

Go to your state's voter registration website
You'll need your driver's license or state ID number, and your Social Security number
Check your status even if you think you're registered—if you've moved, your address might not match

Parents: Sit with them and do this right now. Seriously, stop reading this and pull up the registration site together. The deadline will sneak up faster than you think.

Step 2: Choose Your Voting Method

You have options. Pick one now. Don't wait to "figure it out later."

Early voting: Indiana lets you vote in person before Election Day. This is perfect for young people with unpredictable schedules or those who just want to avoid potential lines. Here are Hamilton County’s early voting dates.
Vote by mail: You can request a ballot, fill it out at home with time to research, and mail it back or drop it at a designated location. The rules for this have changed. Check them out here.
Election Day in person: The traditional option that still gives us old folks goose bumps. Election day is May 5, 2026—polls are typically open from 7 AM to 7 PM (check your specific location).

Step 3: Make Your Specific Plan

This is where the magic happens. Answer these questions as specifically as possible:

WHEN will you vote? Not just "on Election Day" but "Tuesday morning at 8:30 AM before my 10 o'clock class" or "Saturday of early voting, around 2 PM after my shift." Get specific.
WHERE will you go? Look up your exact polling location now. Put the address in your phone. If you're voting by mail, know where your drop box is or when you need to mail your ballot.
HOW will you get there? Will you drive? Walk? Take the bus? Get a ride from a friend? If you don't have transportation, figure this out now, not the morning of.
WHO will you go with? This might be the most powerful part. Research shows that 79% of young people who believe their friends will vote plan to vote themselves, versus only 35% of those who don't think their friends will vote. Make it a group activity. Text your roommates. Coordinate with friends. Go together, then grab coffee after.
WHAT do you need to bring? Indiana law requires Indiana residents show a government-issued photo ID (IN or federal) before casting a ballot. This is a driver's license or photo identification card. NOT A COLLEGE ID.

Step 4: Share Your Plan

Tell someone your plan. Text a friend. Tell your parent. Post it on your private story. When you make your voting plan public (even to just one person), you're way more likely to follow through.

Bonus: Make it social. The research is clear that voting becomes more likely when it feels like a collective activity rather than a solo obligation. Your friends are more likely to vote if you tell them your plan. You're more likely to vote if they tell you theirs.

One last thing.

Parents: Your job isn't to drag your young adult to the polls. It's not even to convince them that voting matters. Your job is to remove the barriers that stand between their intention to vote and actually casting a ballot.

Young voters: You don't need permission, but if it helps, here it is: You're ready. You know enough. Your voice deserves to be heard. The system is supposed to work for you—not the other way around.

Make your plan. Share it with someone. Show up.

That's it. That's the whole thing.

Resources:

Register to vote: Vote.gov
Check registration status and find polling at INvoters.gov
Questions about the voting process: Call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
The May primary deadline to register is April 6. Put it in your phone right now.